Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) vs Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | ARDT | 10.3% revenue growth vs CYH's -1.2% |
| Value | CYH | Lower P/E (0.9x vs 7.4x) |
| Quality / Margins | CYH | 4.1% net margin vs ARDT's 3.2% |
| Stability / Safety | ARDT | Beta 0.88 vs CYH's 1.24 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | CYH | +15.0% vs ARDT's -35.9% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | ARDT | 4.0% ROA vs CYH's 3.9%, ROIC 9.7% vs 21.0% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Community Health Systems operates a network of general acute care hospitals across the United States. It generates revenue primarily from patient services — including inpatient care, emergency room visits, surgeries, and outpatient services — with Medicare and Medicaid representing significant portions of its payer mix. The company's scale as one of the largest for-profit hospital operators provides purchasing power and geographic diversification across multiple states.
Ardent Health Partners operates a network of acute care hospitals and clinics providing comprehensive healthcare services across the United States. It generates revenue primarily from patient care services — including inpatient and outpatient treatments, surgeries, and rehabilitation — with the majority coming from government and private insurance reimbursements. The company benefits from its regional concentration in key markets, which creates operational efficiencies and strong local physician relationships that drive patient referrals.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
CYH leads in 3 of 6 categories (Valuation Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). ARDT leads in 2 (Financial Metrics, Total Returns). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CYH is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.5B annually — 2.0x ARDT's $6.3B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 4.1% (CYH) to 3.2% (ARDT). On growth, ARDT holds the edge at +8.8% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $12.5B | $6.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.9B | $948M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $509M | $205M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $302M | $155M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +56.7% | +70.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.9% | +12.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +4.1% | +3.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.4% | +2.4% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -4.9% | +8.8% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +2.5% | -189.5% |
Valuation Metrics
At 0.9x trailing earnings, CYH trades at a 85% valuation discount to ARDT's 5.9x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, CYH's 0.5x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than ARDT's 5.6x.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $485M | $1.3B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $888M | $3.1B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 0.92x | 5.94x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 7.38x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 0.08x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 0.46x | 5.55x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.04x | 0.22x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | — | 0.82x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 2.33x | 10.51x |
Profitability & Efficiency
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | — | +12.6% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.9% | +4.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +21.0% | +9.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +13.1% | +10.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 8 | 8 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | — | 1.50x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $403M | $1.7B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $260M | $557M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $663M | $2.3B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.86x | 7.08x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in ARDT five years ago would be worth $5,847 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $3,927 for CYH. Over the past 12 months, CYH leads with a +15.0% total return vs ARDT's -35.9%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors ARDT at -16.4% vs CYH's -17.0% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +11.6% | +8.7% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | +15.0% | -35.9% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -42.9% | -41.5% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -60.7% | -41.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -77.1% | -41.5% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -17.0% | -16.4% |
Risk & Volatility
ARDT is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than CYH's 1.24 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. CYH currently trades 77.4% from its 52-week high vs ARDT's 60.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.24x | 0.88x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $4.47 | $15.55 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.24 | $8.07 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +77.4% | +60.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 63.3 | 55.7 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.4M | 341K |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates CYH as "Hold" and ARDT as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 55.2% upside for ARDT (target: $15) vs -1.7% for CYH (target: $3).
| Metric | CYHCommunity Health … | ARDTArdent Health Par… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $3.40 | $14.57 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 37 | 12 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 2 | 1 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Aug 24 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 100 | 63.67 | -36.3% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 111.89 | 53.49 | -52.2% |
Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) returned -42% over 5 years vs Community Health Sy… (CYH)'s -61%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | $18.4B | $12.5B | -32.3% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | $2.1B | $6.0B | +183.4% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s revenue grew from $18.4B (2016) to $12.5B (2025) — a -4.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -9.3% | 4.1% | +143.7% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 0.7% | 3.5% | +408.3% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s net margin went from -9% (2016) to 4% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 4 Years
| Stock | 2020 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | 1.7 | 0.8 | -52.9% |
Community Health Systems, Inc. has traded in a 1x–12x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~1x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Health Sy… (CYH) | -15.54 | 3.77 | +124.3% |
| Ardent Health Partn… (ARDT) | 0.1 | 1.58 | +1480.0% |
Community Health Systems, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-15.54 (2016) to $3.77 (2025).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Community Health Systems, Inc. generated $208M FCF in 2025 (+135% vs 2021). Ardent Health Partners, LLC generated $128M FCF in 2024 (+167% vs 2022).
CYH vs ARDT: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is CYH or ARDT a better buy right now?
Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) offers the better valuation at 0.9x trailing P/E, making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) a "Buy" — based on 12 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — CYH or ARDT?
On trailing P/E, Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) is the cheapest at 0.9x versus Ardent Health Partners, LLC at 5.9x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — CYH or ARDT?
Over the past 5 years, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) delivered a total return of -41.5%, compared to -60.7% for Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH). A $10,000 investment in ARDT five years ago would be worth approximately $6K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: ARDT returned -41.5% versus CYH's -77.1%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — CYH or ARDT?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Community Health Systems, Inc.'s 1.24β — meaning CYH is approximately 40% more volatile than ARDT relative to the S&P 500.
05Which has better profit margins — CYH or ARDT?
Community Health Systems, Inc. (CYH) is the more profitable company, earning 4.1% net margin versus 3.5% for Ardent Health Partners, LLC — meaning it keeps 4.1% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CYH leads at 11.9% versus 6.8% for ARDT. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — ARDT leads at 82.7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is CYH or ARDT more undervalued right now?
Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for ARDT: 55.2% to $14.57.
07Which pays a better dividend — CYH or ARDT?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is CYH or ARDT better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Ardent Health Partners, LLC (ARDT) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.88)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (ARDT: -41.5%, CYH: -77.1%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between CYH and ARDT?
Both stocks operate in the Healthcare sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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